A shot in the arm for Brunei basketball

Ing Wai Hung

Over the years, the Low San Basketball Tournament has grown to be one of the much-anticipated basketball competitions in the country with the best players hunting for a piece of silverware and a place in history. With its huge following, the tournament was first revived in 2017 after decades of absence. It was first established in 1959 during the height of the sport when the idea of the Low San Shield was first mooted. Since its re-establishment, the tournament has proven to be one of the biggest events in the basketball calendar on par with events such as the Mum's Bakery Cup or the Sultan's Cup. When the tournament was revived in 2017, a record of 28 teams and approximately 330 players took part. According to Managing Director of Low San Hardware and sponsor of the Low San Brunei Open Matthew Bond, 'The first 'Low San Shield' Basketball Tournament was held in 1959 and was reintroduced last year to great success. 'The tournament symbolises so many great qualities such as promoting a healthy lifestyle, teamwork and perseverance,' he said. While the men's open category represents the main event of the tournament, there are also the Women's Sherwin Williams Cup and Veteran's Low San Shield categories being contested. The return of the tournament saw Juramas being crowned champions after an Esmond Tan (183-PG-84)-inspired winning shot catapulted them to the title. The likes of Esmond Tan and Ing Wai Hung - two of the leading basketball names in the country - have been instrumental to their respective teams' pursuit of success. The most dramatic shot in Esmond's basketball career arguably was the final shot of the game in the final win against Rotary. During that game, he attributed the link-up play between him and Lim Chee Chuan as integral to the shot that clinched them the title. The pair's chemistry had already been observed during the last round which led to a strong understanding of their movements on the court. 'We had the same play in the previous game between Ah Boy (Lim Chee Chuan) and I,' said Esmond when asked about the play in the dying seconds of the fourth quarter. 'But it wasn't for the win. We were leading by two points against El-Bombazo Buycour with the same play and we did the same. So there was some kind of connection already between Ah Boy and I.' The last moments of the 2017 final brought plenty of drama with the crowd on the edge of their seats as both teams pushed for the win. Juramas led by two points but Rotary levelled the scores as overtime loomed. The ball was then in Juramas' court and it was either overtime or a win with the last game of the shot. Despite being soaked by enormous pressure, Esmond described the simplicity of the championship-winning shot, which is a commonly made shot in any match. 'Once I got the ball, it was a quick release and it went in. I had the confidence of the shot because in normal time we also play this kind of ball. It was either overtime or getting the win. 'The crowd brought the momentum. We were leading by two and then they made a basket and we needed a response,' he added. A year later, Fitness Zone became the new champions following an 80-67 win over YTE before OSP became the third different winner of the tournament in 2019 after a 97-73 win over Fitness Zone-Juramas. While all the players deserved all the plaudits for helping the team to the title, a player that particularly stood out during the 2019 tournament was Ing Wai Hung whose shooting form in the final quarter proved to be the contributing factor to the win in the final. He produced a huge impact after his repeated barrage of three pointers made sure that his team ran out of sight by the fourth quarter. Together with Choo Yung Jian, the sharpness of the deadly duo provided attacking impetus en route to a stunning win. YTE, one of the leading basketball teams in the country, have never tasted triumph in the Low San tournament but their achievements, including the much-prestigious You.C1000 Basketball Tournament, mean that they should not be ruled out.
Courtesy of: borneobulletin.com.bn

Tags : ING WAI HUNG, WESTPORTS MALAYSIA DRAGONS, BRUNEI BASKETBALL